Suugaku Joshi Gakuen Ep 4

Onwards to a review of episode 4!

In episode 4, it starts out with Nina freaking out because she can't find her mentaiko bread and accuses Kazuki of stealing it (ah yes, the Kazuki accusations never end). Of course, Kazuki didn't do it and they both end up yelling at each other until Aoyama Iroha (played by Kikkawa Yuu, Hello! Project Egg graduate and is now currently a soloist under Universal Music Japan, but still part of Up-Front, the company in charge of Hello! Project), who is the head of the Morality Squad, tells them to stop fighting like kids and that Kazuki should cut his hair because it's not manly and supposedly long hair on a man is against the school rules. Kazuki is scared and freaked out, but Nina continues to be angry and badmouths Iroha. 

Kazuki is so mad at Nina that he heads over to the old school building, and notices Sayuri in the building. He tries to creep away, but steps on some leaves and Sayuri notices him, but didn't notice that she noticed and  keeps walking. Sayuri had eaten some of Nina's mentaiko bread and it gave her a stomach ache, causing her to need to do a #2 and she finds it too un-idol-like, which is why she is at the old school building, so she can do her business without anyone knowing. Kazuki ends up writing a whole bunch of mean things on the blackboard about Nina to vent out his anger. Kazuki, in the classroom, and Sayuri, in the washroom, both hear the sound of a window breaking. 

The next day, the class is assembled to bring up the fact that a window had been broken in the old school building, an indication that it must have been vandalized. Two girls quickly point out that Sayuri and Kazuki were both at the old school building. Mami senses that this is a case and decides to handle it, until Iroha gets the other 2 members of the Morality Squad to drag Mami out. Iroha, who is now in charge, asks Sayuri and Kazuki why there were at the old school building, but neither one of them want to say why because Sayuri doesn't want anyone to know that an "idol" like herself uses the washroom, even more so does a #2. Kazuki doesn't want to say anything because he technically did do some vandalism and doesn't want anyone to find out what he wrote on the blackboard. Iroha assumes their silence as being guilty. Nina stands up for them saying that there was no way that they did it. Kazuki and Sayuri both appreciate the sentiment, but they are in this predicament because of Nina. ^_^"  So, Sayuri and Kazuki are both placed in separate enclosed rooms and are forced upon the "Prisoner's Dilemma", where accusing the other will cause them less consequences than staying silent. 

Here is how the Prisoner's Dilemma in this episode works:

If Sayuri and Kazuki both accuse each other of committing the crime, then they both will be suspended for 15 days. If they both keep silent, then they both will be suspended for only 3 days. If Sayuri accuses Kazuki and Kazuki keeps silent, Sayuri will be found innocent and Kazuki will be suspended for 30 days and vice versa. So the theory is that they'll both accuse the other in order to be found innocent, even though there is no proof that the other person did it (which is the whole premise of this dilemma). Sayuri and Kazuki are locked up and forced to contemplate what answer they should give. 

Nina tries to explain the situation to the nurse using numbers. Nina explains that the average time of suspension if they keep quiet is 16.5 days vs if they accuse, it will be only 7.5 days. Where do these numbers come from?

For the "if they keep quiet", simply add 3 (from both stay silent) and 30 (if the one accused stays silent) and divide by 2, so we get the following (3+33)/2 = 16.5 days. 

For the "if they accuse", add 15 (if they both accuse the other) + 0 (for the accuser) and divide by 2, so we get (15+0)/2 = 7.5 days. 

Based on these numbers, they would deal with a shorter suspension time if they decided to accuse the other, but if they both accuse each other, then they would both have to face 15 days of suspension. To me, these numbers just show the risk they are taking by choosing to accuse or stay quiet. 

Nina faces off with Iroha and challenges her to a "battle". Since Iroha is so confident that Sayuri and Kazuki will betray each other (because that's how the math works and what usually happens in these situations), Nina bets that they won't and if Nina loses, then she'll suffer the same consequences as the other two. Iroha gladly accepts and doesn't seem to care that the other 2 members of the Morality Squad, Azabu Miku (played by Shimizu Saki, the captain of Berryz Koubou) and Jingu Takako (played by Tokunaga Chinami of Berryz Koubou), have stepped up to receive punishment with Iroha, in the case that she loses. 

After several hours of isolation, it's time for Sayuri and Kazuki to give their answers. They both lift their giant paper pads in the air and both of them say that they didn't do it and neither did the other person. Iroha is in shock, since the answer should have been so simple: accuse the other to lighten your suspension or remove it entirely. Nina says that this is the power of friendship. In actuality, Kazuki didn't accuse Sayuri because he can't handle Nina by himself. Sayuri didn't accuse Kazuki because she's been getting low grades recently and wants someone who is even worse than her still around. Of course, they both say this in their heads, while shaking each other's hands. ^_^"

Miku brings up that if Sayuri and Kazuki didn't do it, then who did? Nina says that she did it and was sorry about it. She explains that she was on the roof and realized that Kazuki didn't steal her bread, but actually gave it to Sayuri, so she wanted to apologize and while dropping down her rope so she could do the Tarzan, the rope hit the window and smashed it. All in all, it was all Nina's fault. @.@ Iroha can't accept Nina's apology because Nina deserves some punishment, but since Iroha lost the "battle", her and the Morality Squad are punished by drinking really bitter tea. 

This was quite an interesting episode. I loved Kikka's acting and I'm glad that there was at least some numbers to play around with. Looking at the trend, I'm not sure if there will be any more "blackboard" math problems to solve. It seems like they want to show how math can be applied to "everyday" situations and it doesn't necessarily have to be something that is drawn out and must be solved to be understood.

I'm excited to see what's in store for us in episode 5! :D